Welcoming new migrants as New Australians

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43 secs

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FRANK GALBALLY
Barrister who defended the Bonegilla “rioters” in the early 1960s and was to head the Review of Post-Arrival Programs and Services to Migrants in 1977-78

There was already a deficiency in the manner in which we welcomed and treated our migrants - those who'd been here, some families for many, many years and there were generations of migrants in Australia. We all know that. That is history. But they were still subject to a certain amount of not hatred, but unconcern, that they would look after themselves. They were neglected to a degree in this way, namely, that they did not seem, did not appear to have the access to essential services as easily as the Australian born or the migrant from England or an English speaking country.

CONTINUATION OF INTERVIEW AS TEXT

Now in my view there were not the post-arrival welcomes that there should have been for them (migrants). There were not the post-arrival services set up for them. They arrived here almost in an unknown world. I used to use a phrase when I'd go around lecturing people and try and get their support. It was like when you wake up in the dark and you've gone to a hotel or a strange place. You go to sleep. You wake up in the dark. You do not know where you are and you can't even find the light switch. And that was it. The migrants could not find the light switch.